requite

1
as in to compensate
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the company requited the employee who had fallen on the ice while leaving work by promptly paying all his medical bills, hoping that would stave off a lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for the future writer would later requite the abuse he suffered at the hands of his classmates by creating scathing portraits of them in his novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb requite contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of requite are reciprocate, retaliate, and return. While all these words mean "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

When can reciprocate be used instead of requite?

The words reciprocate and requite can be used in similar contexts, but reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

When is retaliate a more appropriate choice than requite?

In some situations, the words retaliate and requite are roughly equivalent. However, retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

When might return be a better fit than requite?

While the synonyms return and requite are close in meaning, return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call
return good for evil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of requite Reflecting Lee’s turmoil as he’s tormented by heroin withdrawals and his not entirely requited affection for Allerton, the film is moody, and the sets reflect the interior landscapes of its characters. Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024 In the book, the main character falls in love with an android that only pretends to requite his feelings. IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023 But his love wasn’t always requited. Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023 Looks like the love Taylor Swift has for Grey’s Anatomy is fully requited! Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2023 An intensity which can be called religious characterizes the devotion shown to their community by literally millions of people who routinely sacrifice — time, money, labor — to remark that devotion; and, using their own language, methods, and skills, to requite the community. William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 26 Nov. 2020 There’s a lot to requite my love. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 18 Aug. 2020 Employers ought to requite that trust by mandating that their staff who work indoors with other employees are vaccinated for Covid-19. Zachary M. Seward, Quartz, 30 July 2021 Instead, the inciting incidents are all common or garden-variety romantic mishaps — infidelity, unplanned pregnancies, feelings undeclared lest they're not requited. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for requite
Verb
  • That’s substantial, and pitch-framing skills have never played a bigger role in how catchers are evaluated — and, ultimately, compensated — by the Minnesota Twins and other teams.
    Aaron Gleeman, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Chloe Bailey, who performs as a solo musician under the moniker Chlöe, is being sued by a songwriter who claims to not have been properly compensated for their work.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Kelly edged West Aurora’s Dominic Serio 4-3 in the finals, avenging a sectional loss a week earlier to Serio.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The Horned Frogs avenged their 71-57 loss on Jan. 21 in Lubbock in front of former TCU legend Desmond Bane — who had his jersey retired at halftime — in a breakout game by Trazarien White off the bench and with another clutch shot from Noah Reynolds.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • When Trump claimed Europe was being repaid for 60% of its contributions to Kyiv, Macron interjected, clarifying that Europe had covered 60% of the total aid effort through loans, guarantees, and grants.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The $242 million in bonds floated by Johnson’s team would either be repaid with 4.37% interest in five years or 4.6% interest in 10 years.
    Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Four employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency — its chief financial officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist — were fired Feb. 11 over payments to reimburse New York City for hotel costs for migrants.
    Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Navan Headquarters: Palo Alto, California. Travel and expense software company Navan offers a corporate card and an expense management app that reimburses employees' out-of-pocket business travel within 24 to 48 hours.
    Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Colonial empires established plantations in Asia and South America to satisfy demand in Europe and North America.
    Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The cannibals of the South Sea Islands roast human beings alive to satisfy hunger.
    Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Requite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/requite. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!